


instances

by serosoul



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 08:06:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1503056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serosoul/pseuds/serosoul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>their road to love is smooth, like a gravel road.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ayabutt](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=ayabutt).



> go ing to slam myself brb

The sound of the drizzling rain is hushed yet alive, wind navigating the gentle spray in the deep, dark night. The moon is new, the darkness deep and unrelenting out here between rolling hills. Ace’s lungs chill as he sets his sights on the gleaming rooftops of the Academy.  
  
It’s a perfect night for dead to prevail.  
  
It’s a harsh landing, Ace’s shoes skidding across damp cobblestone when his broom tips at the weight of a second body. It swerves; dirt streaked wood trembling between his fingers as he fights to right it before they’re bucked right off.  
  
His face is tense as the remaining teachers land around him and Ace attempts to flicks dirt caked hair out of his eyes. A comforting hand finds his shoulder and gentle encouragement finds its way through the frosty night air. The added weight unnerves him, feeds his misplaced guilt and puts a frown on his face.  
  
For a brief moment, he watches the slow advance of the teaching staff before the distant sound of the head nurses’ voice sends a jolt of alertness up his spine despite his clawing exhaustion. He clamps down on it, kicking off from the ground to rush right through the throng of people and inside the school. His eyes sting when his road clears, but he ignores it and doesn’t stop until they reach the infirmary.

 

****

  
He barely requires any patching up, his shoulder popped back in place and his wounds dressed as his mind wanders, thoughts meaningless and drifting. Ace’s gaze snaps up when he picks up hushed but grave voices drifting from one of the occupied beds.  
  
All he can determine after half a minute is that it’s just as he thought- knew, desperately attempted to deny- as a limp hand is lifted. There’s no colour left in it or the arm connected to it.  
  
Sympathetic looks are slid his way, but he’s already halfway through the doors.

****

  
As winter taws, students pour back into the school halls, the ghosts of half-spun truths trailing after Ace and licking at the heels of his shoes like flames.  
  
It’s the usual start to a new year; boys draw near, clamour for his attention and blabber about the troll attacks that made headlines on every relevant paper and the ones in between, draw nearer and brush against his arms with hero worship on their tongues and stars in their eyes.  
  
The Showcase is a welcome distraction, Ace going through the motions of preparation. He snags the grand hall in the early hours of the evening, heading there alone to spend his time playing with intricate spells and frivolous charms until the stars on his cheekbones twinkle in the dark.  
  
Ace curls his lips in anticipation as he turns off the lights and for one fleeting moment-, he feels proud of himself.

****

  
Fierce explosions light up the early evening, the screeching fizz of magic tearing through the air to paint the sky with colours and shapes obscured by the aerial demonstrations of a flock of students. Artificial winds howl and tow, coats of the black clad masses lifting as the opulent displays of magic colour their faces in shades of excitement.

Yet this year is nothing special, not to Ace at least. He levitates leisurely above the amassing student body, kicking his feet as a wild wind snatches at his clothes and makes his bustle billow behind him. Ace feels eyes on him, curiosity making the newcomers that much sharper, perceptive, critical, making them wonder what he's doing suspended between thunderous explosions.

His cue comes in the shape of a colossal white dragon materializing out of thin air. Deft as ever, Ace rises to stand on his broom rather than straddle it. It sways briefly with the memories of it's most recent damages, but rights itself just in time for flight.

Ace zips straight through the crackling dragon, paints a clear track right through the fading sparks before adjusting his position. It's far beyond a demonstration, Ace confidently showing off by shifting a foot towards the tip of his broom and guiding it full speed towards the mesmerised crowds.

He rights it moments before impact. Fiddles for his wands and smirks when people duck to avoid his broom. At the very edge of the crowd, he doubles back with a rising sense of anticipation. This is the only tricky part, the only part of his performance where he has to exercise the utmost amount of caution.

Both of his wands crackle, powers harsh and dangerous. Most of the bolts are successfully deflected, exploding with little sound and great flare. But one of the newer aerial demonstrators chickens out and evades the shot. It ricochets off of the academy wall and Ace barrels right at it and forces it to implode with a flick of his wrist. It draws into itself, disappears into nothing as Ace stills in the air, then the air crackles and a huge explosion of white showers over most of the crowd.

Ace is furious as he tilts his broom heavenward and ascends at breakneck speed, magic spluttering and leaving a distinct trail in his wake. The aerial demonstration team flanks him at a certain altitude, and they weave and wave as they sail across the sky, slinging their wands and casting intricate spells all with the sole purpose of adding more fireworks to the display.

Applause roars as they finally land. Ripples through the crowd like a drop in a pond, spreads and magnifies. It's a ploy to transfix them, ground them to their Academy rather than one in any other zone. They have to pretend this can be taught, as if your magical disposition can be changed through hard work and dedication. Ace yanks off his hat, feels it shrink against his palm until it's small enough to be tugged away in a pocket. They're done, he's leaving.

Exuding confidence, Ace swaggers along a paved path with his bustle bobbing and swaying as he walks. If anyone thinks to comment his regal getup, no one does as they realize who he is and why they know his face. He's famous, really, marketed just right by the school and shipped off to the "right" competitions- those were he's just not one of the favourites, but victory is certain- just to garner more students, more prestige.

For a moment he allows to doubt to settle, teeth gritting as his annoyance runs rampant. That's when he hears it- a voice so full of pride and confidence that he can't help but stop just to listen.

"What's so cool about him? Honestly- what's the use of dual wands," Ace's eyes flicker about, settling on a small cluster of witches. "There's a way higher chance he's going to tumble off his broom." The guy speaking is tall, taller than the rest, and speaks with conviction.

One of his friends snorts. He chokes on the sound when he catches red and white eyes, and gestures frantically behind their little group as the... sceptic guy continues to list all the cons Ace apparently represents.

He turns around mid sentence, all carefully styled hair and cold indifference. He stares Ace down, uncaring. "- if you think braining yourself is worth the risk of looking cool, then I feel sorry for you." 

Ace gazes at him, narrows his eyes at the only person who's not at all impressed with his skills, and _really_ looks.

He's lost when he does.


	2. i'm grown

"Dude you really don't need to be here- it's just first years." One of his fellow third years points out, exasperation clear as he utters the last words. Ace shrugs, lips tilting a little when all he earns is a long suffering sigh. "They asked for guidance volunteers, why can't I join?"

"Because it's _you_." Someone else chimes in, a fourth year by the looks of his emblem. His voice is void of any malicious intent, but it still stings, and Ace flicks his bangs out of his eyes and says "I'm still a student." As if that matters- and the two guys tell him as much with teasing voices.

They imitate his infamous duel pose as they trail along the Academy halls. Others join in until a particularly loud guy gets mercilessly silenced by one of the counsellors, the familiar spell working it's magic as his lips clamp shut. Ace tries really hard not to laugh, relishing in the small reprieve their inattention provides.

 

***

"You've been assigned the _Summoner_ majors." The head counsellor intones with as much lenience as a rotten broomstick. He's daring them to say something, banking on it and twitching to reprimand.

"We all know the general attitude towards summoners is tentative at best," He heaves a sigh, looks around the hall, "But we trust you guys to do a **far** better job than the current fourth years did." The counsellor catches Ace's eyes, Ace lifts his chin. The moment passes.

The first year classroom for the summoner majors is on the ground floor, tucked away at the most secluded corner of the Academy building. Someone says it's to eliminate any disturbances, but no one _really_ cares.

The classroom is dark, every last window tinted near-black to keep the sun from bleaching their sands and powders. It's also incredibly hot. Ace tugs at his collar, the heat having nothing to do with the weather outside.

Amber eyes are trained on him, gaze sharp and calculating. Ace looks anywhere but at him, silently surprised the haughty guy is a mere first year. He could have sworn he was at least his age; banking on the fact that Ace doesn't even know a fraction of the faces populating the school it's plausible enough, and he does **not** look 16.

"... your guide will be third year, aerial and druid double major, Ace Krylo." At the mention of his name, Ace snaps back to attention and gazes around the room. Most have been paired up, only a handful of first years still seated.

Someone rises, towers, gathers his things and slides his arm through the straps of his bag. He pins Ace with all over again with his unwavering gaze. Tension sings through him, makes him stand bolt upright when his _junior_ casually slings closer and stares him down.

Maybe it's just the height difference, or, he's just arrogant. His lips twitch, he looks on the verge of laughter- just maybe, he's just a little shit. Ace cheers at the thought, offers a friendly smile and pretends he's comfortable here.

"That'll be everyone. First years, don't hold back on the questions." The head counsellor chimes, all cheers at his job practically finished. "Third years, show the kids whatever they want to see." He adds dismissively, already trotting towards the door and his extended lunch break.

 

***

 

Ace feels a touch to his shoulder, a brief flutter of careful fingers that draws his attention from a classmate of his and his assigned first year, and right back to his own. "I'm bored." He says, bag slung across his shoulder and his fingers busy shifting his fringe out of his eyes.

They break off from the others, sifting from the huge cluster of students they had been walking in. "Aren't you going to suggest anything?" He sniffs, nameless and endlessly demanding. Ace's lips press together as he keeps walking, stubbornly ignoring his attitude. And the fact it's kind of charming, infuriating but charming.

"Hey- I'm talking to you." He tries again, voice hard and fingers rough where they take hold of Ace's elbow with zero delicacy. "Should you really be ignoring me?" He sounds annoyed, looks it too when Ace turns to face him- "You didn't even catch my name, did you?" He's mad now.

Ace averts his gaze, feeling guilty. "You noticed me staring, I _saw_ you space out." He knows he hit a nerve and he's digging into it, tightens his hold on Ace's elbow so he can't get away without forcing it.

"You're a real poor excuse for an upperclassman- you're supposed to guide me but you haven't spoken a single word to me yet." Ace can't tell if he's angry about getting ignored, or angry about having his pride hurt. Ace's tongue clicks, momentarily at a loss for words and will.

"What do you want me to say?" Ace bursts, words crass and all wrong. But it's annoying, the way this _kid_ gets to him. Ace is obviously the one in the wrong right this moment, but Ace still wants to get across that _he's_ the one being unfair. Ace is caught up and he can feel his stars burn with anger and excitement. No one scolds him, ever, not him.

Yet this kid is tearing right into him, on their first formal meeting, and Ace feels challenged. "Say you're sorry." He snaps, looms even closer and makes Ace feel as small as he really is.

Squaring his shoulders, Ace straightens to his full height, all 5"7 of him and turns his lips down in a severe frown. "Why would _I_ apologize to _you_?" He snaps, voice tight and breath clipped as he tries not to get too pissed. The kid moves to speak, but Ace raises a staying hand and he falters just long enough-

" _You_ -" He continues, letting his anger pour into his worth, makes it far larger than it really is. He's rattled, Ace can tell, he didn't expect him to be a hothead that much is obvious. "You insulted me the first day you set foot on the school grounds. You denounced my position and my skills, badmouthed someone you don't even _know_ \- and you still think I owe you shit?"

Ace exhales, slow and collected and draws back, puts space between them and urges his own voice to reach out further, flow with the breeze and get that much stronger here between rolling waves of grass. "If anyone should be apologizing, it should be you. Learn some manners-" He leaves space for a name, for an answer. Softens his tight expression until his brows smooth out.

Long moments pass, the two of them staring each other down with thorns in their eyes and stubbornness blazing. But Ace is still older, and respect is due even if it's yet to be earned. _"...Jun Desrosier."_

It's the dumbest thing Ace has heard all week, but his chest gives a little jitter and it vaguely pisses him off. But the kid, _Jun_ , looks so meek in the face of his own surrender that Ace doesn't know what to do with him. The look passes in a flash, cold hard confidence frosting his features all over again and Ace pretends he doesn't care. Because, you know- he _doesn't_.

 

And yet, he can't stay away.


	3. ring the alarm

The first day of introductory courses starts with a breeze, Jun studiously ignoring Ace's presence despite trailing after him with quiet resignation bearing him down. Ace snuffs yet another pearl of laughter, Jun eyes him with the rage of one wronged. But in reality, he had been lost and Ace had found him and Ace really does laugh then.

Jun had attempted to locate the third year dorms, never mind that Ace doesn't even reside there, and had gotten so lost he ended up on the stairs leading to The Library of the Scholars. A place so secluded, and hidden away inside the academy that only The Ancient professors can find it in less than half an hour. No one uses it anyway, the time touched relic something that has been kept intact to honour the scholars that formed the academy, and to ease the lesson planning by The Ancients still left from that time.

"Shut up." Jun grouses tersely, shouldering right on past Ace and inside their next classroom. His face is all tight lines and splashes of embarrassment across his cheekbones, Ace barely catching the look in the others haste to just get away from him. Ace finds it in him to smother his laughter behind the back of his hand, stars stuttering to life and twinkling obnoxiously as he slips inside the classroom too.

The entire room stops as he walks in. While Jun catches attention, Ace turns heads, and the rarity of catching him smiling has the entire room transfixed. He lowers his hand, expression sobering and his robes rustle in the silence. "What are you stalling for-" Jun starts, chair clattering against the floor as he tugs one out at the very back of the room.

Snapping out of it, Ace trails through the throng of chattering students as their eyes stay glued. Voices flutter about, address him, talk to him and beckon for his answer. But he knows better, knows that if he acknowledges one then ten more will be drawn towards him, will try to befriend him until they feel entitled to monopoly. He says his greetings, makes a bee-line for the seat next to Jun and sinks right onto it.

"Oh, you have time for me? _I'm honoured_." Jun says, Ace on the verge of snapping right back at him when he spares him a glance and Jun's expression is the softest he has seen it yet. Belatedly, Ace realises he's joking. Jun's honestly trying to tease him, however weak and awkward it is, and Ace tilts his chin and says "Don't get used to it. I'm a busy guy." and Jun just kind of snorts.

***

With Ace out and about and Jun intensely disinterested in everything going on around them, the day passes in a slow blur. Ace's thoughts shift and turn, the final course of the day sailing along and letting him fall into thoughts too deep and questioning for an early afternoon. Jun is restless beside him, twisting in his chair out of obvious discomfort, the seating is awful and unforgiving for anyone much taller than Ace.

It reels Ace's focus from his thoughts to the shuffling root of them. "You're gonna have to stop that before the professor notices, she's a complete hard ass." He whispers, frowning lightly when Jun just huffs and ruffles at his hair. "It's hot and this chair fucking sucks-" Jun hisses back, shooting Ace a look before settling down despite his words. Ace nearly scoffs, both at Jun and his own thoughts and the entire thing is just ridiculous.

Ace surreptitiously sneaks a wand out of his sleeve pocket, spinning it beneath their table as he feigns attention. Jun makes a small noise of surprise, turning towards Ace as the unbudging seat turns pillowy beneath him. Ace offers him a cocky grin and bounces once in his seat, sliding his wand back inside his pocket.

" _Show-off_." Ace hears him sigh, and Ace has to conceal a smile as eagle sharp eyes skip to them when the professor finally catches on. They both make it a point to appear completely unfazed and entirely innocent. Jun breaks when she looks away again, releases a snort that ends up all choked and sigh-y and Ace goes still and then he burns.

***

The end of the introductory week is marked by the afternoon flight, all of the new Summoner majors herded onto the flying field along with their assigned guide. Ace walks away from the large group, Jun on tow, after the safety rules are listed briskly by one of the flight teachers.

"You _have_ ridden a broom before, right?" Ace asks, casually leaning against the sturdy wood of his own broomstick, stiffened horse hairs catching at his ombre locks as he lifts a questioning brow. Jun offers him a dobey look, as if he's completely idiotic for even thinking to ask. "Of course I have." He sniffs, smooths a hand down his thigh where he just managed to slap himself with the broom and distract Ace for a few swift moments.

Ace is doubting, but he's seen complete klutz's', who fall all over themselves, excelling as soon as they swing their leg across the broom. He sort of hopes Jun is one of those, as the latter awkwardly holds the broom with the crook of his elbow and squashes it against his cheek, upsetting his hair and scratching the dusty broom tail across his pants.

They're so far away from everyone else that Ace can barely see the actual flying field, but now he's doubting they should have strayed so far. For all of Jun's endless confidence, he looks light years out of his element. He looks more inclined towards bolting back inside the safety of the academy walls, than standing out here with gentle breezes tousling his hair and making him impossibly more lethal to Ace.

"Well, get on with it then." Ace urges, lips pressed as he berates himself, letting his broom fall from his grip. It brakes on it's own, levitates in the air as Ace looks at Jun. He just stands there, looks at the broom, at Ace, looks back at the broom and frowns at it like it's going to grow teeth and bite his nose clean off. While the mental image is amusing, Ace can hear people flying about above them. _"Jun."_

"Fine, whatever, shut up-" He snaps, body taut and movements constrained as he mounts the broom. Every inch of him just pours with annoyance and Ace can practically smell the anxiety he's attempting to conceal. Jun kicks off, the broom jitters, sways to the right, with another soft touch to the grass beneath him, Jun lifts completely off the ground.

Ace smiles, bright and encouraging even as Jun refuses to peel his eyes from the ground, refuses to look up. He isn't sure whether it's for concentration or to deny his near failure, if he doesn't see Ace, Ace doesn't see him, right? Ace lifts off with ease, his broom rising and he slides closer to Jun. He does two full laps around him before Jun finally looks up at him, face tight.

"You lead, I'll follow." Ace swerves briefly, gently nudges against Jun to shake him out of his reverie. It earns him a glare so fierce he puts extra space between them, dims his smile, and tries to pour authority into his expression. Jun has the audacity to roll his eyes, but he begins to inch forward and Ace follows along as they fly even further away from the flying field.

***

"I reckon my grandma can out-fly you, honestly." Ace says, swinging his legs as he glides along. He shifted to sidesaddle somewhere near the auditorium on the eastern edge of campus, now they're drifting along the parameter at snail speed. Jun makes a sound, clutches at the broom, but otherwise doesn't react. Ace peers at him over his shoulder and tries again- "Jun, seriously. Could you go faster, we'll miss dinner at this rate." 

"We can't all be lunatics _Ace_." Jun snarls, as blithe as the upwind that rushes over them in a great gust. "Just because you don't give a shit about your own safety-" He continues, expression set in grim lines as he stares Ace dead in the eye. "What kind of useless skill is this even to master? Can you use this for anything?" He continues to rattle, casting aside all his careful quietude as his voice grows in volume.

"It's pathetic you'd make this your major, you're levitating on a fucking stick for fuck sake." They've both stopped now, Ace gazing at him in silent disbelief. It's irrational, but anger swells, burns a hole in his mood and crawls up his throat as Jun spits poison. "Are you proud of this? All hail and glory because you can twirl around on a stick? _Really?_ "

"How, how on earth can all these imbeciles hail you like a hero when all you do is wear a skirt and shoot firewo-" Jun doesn't get the chance to finish the sentence, barely gives himself the chance to gather his bearings before he has Ace by the collar. He heaves him in, nearly smashes their noses together as Ace's fist throbs where he grips his broom to stay on. A bruise blooms across Jun's cheek as the sun begins to set.

"At least I'm not a complete piece of shit no one wants to talk to." Ace shoots back, digs in deep and sees it in Jun's expression that he's struck a nerve. "Don't think I haven't noticed how alone you are, how many was it? Three people? Four? _Pathetic_." His last word is punctuated by a fist catching at his jaw, the force making Ace bend and waver atop his broom, it shoots away and takes him with it.

His jaw throbs as he gains control over it again, swings his leg back over it and turns until Jun's is within his field of sight again. And what a sight it is. Jun's broom bucks as if it's alive, and he panics, pulls way too abruptly on the broom and he nearly loses grip. He can't correct his trajectory as he fights it for every inch.

Ace surges in just as Jun's grip slips again, he snatches first at his coat and then at his person, draws him close as his broom bucks again and Jun hasn't let up his grip at all. Both of their brooms upend, Jun's from force and Ace's from following. Jun gasps, rigid with sudden fear as both of their brooms disappear from beneath- or rather, above- them.

They end up on the ground, Ace taking the brunt of the impact with a pained sound as Jun lands on top of him. The brooms clatter to the ground a little ways away, losing their abilities soon after their magic source has departed. Peering up, Jun looks sick with disappointment, gasping for breath as if he's the one lying bruised and possibly broken against packed earth and down trotted grass.

Ace looks at him with no remorse, "It's not a fucking horse. It doesn't have a mind of it's own, you control the broom, not the other way around." He scolds, voice gentle and body tense as Jun just stays there, hangs above him and finds the energy to glower at him all over again. Moments pass, time coils tight around them and Jun's expression warps, changes into something unfamiliar and dangerous, it makes Ace's heart soar and he thinks he's going to be sick.

Jun tips down, seals Ace's lips in a rough kiss. It's all demand and no supply, Jun adding to his bruises and making him feel blue. He sighs when it ends, releases Jun's coat where he'd clutched it in his grip. " _You_ want to talk to me, that's good enough."


	4. it's been a long time

_Weeks_ pass. Jun makes the concious effort to actually avoid Ace, despite being in two different years, living in two different places on campus and eating at different tables in the dining hall - never mind not having any classes together - Jun still feels the need to do such a through out job of erasing his own existence, that Ace actually checks the student roster, twice. He shows up both times, all frowning and uncomfortable.

Ace's thoughts always lapse back to the kiss that was selfishly stolen from him. Jun had looked so taken aback and shaken, in the aftermath of both the crash and the kiss, all bug eyed and pouring with cold sweat. Before Ace could gather his bearings, Jun had fled the scene, scant both his broom and his sanity apparently.

Now two brooms take up the better part of his broom closet, the lacquered rosewood broom looking pathetic in the face of disuse. It's a great broom really, sturdy despite it's tendency to act up at the oddest of times, like a wild horse. It reminds him a lot of Jun, it also reminds him that all first years have 3 flight lessons a week and Jun must be participating on one of the horrid school brooms. If Ace was religious, he'd pray for the poor guy.

Instead, he ignores Jun right back. He sees him a couple of times on the third week, pink-ish red hair rounding a corner in a desperate rush. A familiar charmed wand clattering to the ground next to a gaping classroom door. Amber eyes flashing from across the school yard. Ace always quirks his lips, couples it with a sharp frown and finds it all endearing and pathetic in equal measures.

***

Ace rarely makes use of the second floor library, mostly for the fact that the rest of the academy uses it- and he's practically a social hermit out of force rather than choice - so he's not surprised when Jun is. He's taken up one of the desks in direct view of the librarians desks, even made sure to draw their attention when he walked in so they know to keep an eye on his table, keep an eye on the keen boys that approach him with less than stellar intentions.

He's swiping his fingers across one of multiple holographic screens when someone painfully familiar strides into the library. He stops dead in the door, stares at Ace in obvious surprise before going fire truck red. Ace pretends he hasn't noticed, taps the screen a few more times and draws up a new window as Jun sneaks inside the library. Or tries to at least, though Ace has to give him _some_ credit.

Consulting his handwritten notes, Ace makes sense of his own dirt smudged notes and searches for potions involving both Fluxweed and Pimbarrel after he harvested a far greater amount of those compared to his pest infested Senroots, a good third of his shoots had been gnawed through. He sighs, loud and sudden into the quiet hush of the library. Maybe he should consult the professor, but he wants to shine all on his own.

Ace tenses when he notices a person's casting shadows across the table and all over his notes. He knows exactly who he is, his cologne soft and curdling and presence foreboding. Ace forces himself to keep browsing, fills his browser window with tabs that describe potions he could possibly make. Jun shifts behind him, inhales sharply. Ace ignores him harder.

Eventually, Jun audibly deflates, the eyes on them, on him, and the attention obviously wills him to go away. Ace would like to pretend he's relieved, he doesn't want a conflict in such a public place, but disappointment settles like a heavy weight across his chest. He angrily kicks at the desk leg, feels it shake against the force and offers an apologetic smile to the first librarian that bothers to look.

He fills his head with vials and measurements and things that aren't _stupid_ and _stubborn_. Time slips by and Ace decides on a luck serum before clicking everything shut and gathering his scattered papers and notebook, he even finds the will to slant Jun a passive look of indifference before trailing out of the library.

***

Another week passes, uneventful and dreadfully boring. Aside from the anonymous e-mail Ace receives on his bracelet. It vibrates in 2 second intervals until he flicks it open and assesses the block of text. His expression hardens, someone has actually gone and done it. A friend noisily snorts beside him, leaning all over him and practically shoving his nose through the small projection flickering from his bracelet.

"Are you going to show up?" He asks, feigns disinterest even though he's obviously bursting to hear Ace's answer. Ace hums, pretending to be weighing his options, as if he has any if he wants to maintain his reputation. "Yeah, I guess I am." He says, the words heavy in his mouth and his head full of amber.

***

Ace finds himself chatting with some small Alchemist major who obviously has a major crush on him. Like roughly half of the academy, including some professors, but he stands out because he's daring enough to try and do something about it. But the efforts are lost somewhere in the abyss of his rampant nervousness.

Ace is kind of cold and not all that interested, but he stands there anyway, listening to him babble. Light rain drizzles them and he's gathered the ends of his sleeves to wrap around his arms where he has them crossed over his chest. He's missing out on lunch and his hair is damp and plastered to his nape and forehead, stars twinkling weakly.

Suddenly Jun is there, red faced and obviously out of breath despite trying to hide it. Ace catches his eyes over the shoulder of his bumbling admirer, sees Jun's expression turn seething as he zips up his heavy coat and strides into the cooling weather.

"Can't afford a coat?" He calls, attempts to look casual and sound rude but in reality he's rushing towards them with silent purpose and a nervous gleam in his eye. "Spent all your money on growth vials?" He goads, leers, stopping a small distance away from them to glower angrily.

Ace ignores him duly, focuses on the poor guy in front of him and keeps his attention grounded. "As I was saying-" The guy continues valiantly, ignoring Jun's interruption and gaining confidence from the sudden witness. But Jun materializes right beside them with a crack, and the guy turns towards him with an angry expression.

"You'd be better off with anyone but this wreck." He intones, snotty and arrogant as he stands there with his arms crossed far more confidently than Ace. He towers over them both, nose lifted and tinted with cold. It's kind of cute, but Ace is shaken from his thoughts as the guy curls his fingers around Ace's forearm and snaps "It's none of your business, first year."

Jun shrugs, one corner of his lips curling into an aggravating smirk and Ace suddenly feels inexplicably annoyed. "Hey-" He says, offers an imploring look and has both of them snared to his will. "We can take this later, okay?" Ace dismisses, uncrossing his arms to gently touch the alchemists arm. He leaves just like that.

Ace turns on Jun, fury building and frustration spreading and Jun doesn't look like such hot shit any more. "Why are you here?" Ace asks, voice deceptively calm as he stares Jun down with all the right in the world. Jun takes a step back, looks uncertain and frustrated all at once and all of a sudden his eyes skitter away and god _he's such a dick_ Ace almost feels sorry for himself.

"I've-" Jun starts, flailing as Ace's expression shutters and it physically hurts to look at so he tries to will it away. "If you say you've been busy I will kill you." Ace cuts him off, sounding hurt and probably looking it too if Jun's reaction is anything to go by. He wants to leave, wants to storm right back to his apartment and never see Jun again, he's never felt so humiliated his entire life.

"That's not it you asshole-" Jun hisses, hands raking through wet locks as he lets his hair fall where it will while he grasps at straws. "I mean. I want to start over, properly." He tries for a pained smile, all taught lines and awkwardness as he stands there looking like a drowned rat.

Suddenly, weeks of longing stares and countless accounts of high-tailing rearranges itself until something just clicks. "Are you- Jun, are you trying to be nice?" Ace asks, pure disbelief colouring every word, and it sounds so rude, Jun obviously takes it that way too and looks even closer to bolting than Ace feels. Why does this have to be so hard?

Jun's reaction is so predictable that Ace grabs his arm without thinking, stills him before reeling him in as embarrassment burns across Jun's face and he looks meek with defeat. "No- I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Ace says, voice soft and soothing and he is actually, seriously, ridiculously so, so, so in love. "You don't have to, you don't have to be nice to me."

Jun's head snaps up, eyes wide and wild with surprise as his shoulders stiffen as he looks like he's preparing himself for the worst but then he looks so _hopeful_ and Ace feels his heart burn. He feels like he's dying and then Jun actually smiles at him and _ohhh fuck-_


	5. green light

"How do you eat those and live to tell the tale, dude it's _moving_ -" He keens, stares at Ace's plate as if it's going to eat him alive. He grabs at his arm and practically shakes him in his excitement and horror, so much for having only a handful of friends. Ace represses a sigh and tries to don his most pedagogical voice. "Calm down, it's just baby octopus, it's normal where I come from." He says slowly, his friends expression tightening before it smooths over with realisation.

"Oh right, you're from a no magic zone." He sighs, two other friends joining them and rattling at him for being chronically forgetful. Ace hides an amused smile with a tilt of his head, trailing along with the group and stepping aside when one of their soups slop over the edge of their bowl and onto the floor. He flees the scene before he's dragged into the mess.

A sweeper tears through the dining hall, alarm shrilling until it reaches the cluster of boys. It's mechanical voice takes over and berates them for their carelessness, all the while sucking up the mess and washing the floor. Ace gives up on them, starts for their usual table when he feels eyes on him that force him to turn around. He catches Amber eyes the second he does.

Jun is always seated across the room, amongst the summoners, alchemists and astronomes across years. The crowd is always thin around his table, a couple of guys Ace vaguely remembers from the introductory week and some he don't know at all. It seems fitting, all of them bend over the table talking about something Jun probably had been a part of until Ace snatched his attention away.

Their eye-lock is interrupted by a hand on Ace's shoulder, he vaguely catches Jun's eyebrows drawing together before his face is full of blabbering idiots. Or his friends, whatever you'd like to call it. "Why are we staring at the moody summoner kid, what was his name, _John_?" Ace sighs " **Jun** , and I'm staring cause he's cute, and I'm skipping on you guys to embarrass him in front of his friends." He boasts, fluttering out of reach of gaping eyes and frozen hands before making his way across the room.

He drops his tray with a slight clatter, making the entire table jump in surprise at the noise. The shock is immediate, Ace offering a polite smile as he occupies the space directly behind Jun. Eventually, Jun leans back to peer upwards and the back of his head briefly whispers across Ace's shirt. His skin jumps beneath it, so he pours more sunshine into his smile and Jun just frowns at him like he isn't welcome.

It's been a little over two weeks since their run in, and while nothing has progressed, they have reached amicable terms and gone beyond that. Ace still finds himself on shaky ground when Jun looks at him in ways that makes his heart ache, but then sometimes his crotch aches instead and he doesn't know what Jun actually wants from him. So it's baby steps and little things to keep his heart intact.

"Are you going to sit down today?" Jun says, sounding cross, and pretending nonchalance as he redirects his attention to his food. It's the first time Ace has gone to their table, first time they've interacted in a place as public at this, and Jun is struggling and Ace is anything but cruel, so he takes a seat a little too close to Jun and pours even more sunshine into his smile.

When Jun doesn't move to introduce him, Ace does it himself, they all gush that they know who he is and ask why he's sitting here of all places, they're not anyone special. He's so close to saying something monumentally idiotic, like _"Jun is special"_ or _"Jun is reason enough_ ",but Jun would probably kill him and then kill himself out of embarrassment, so he contents himself with knocking his hand against Jun's beneath the table.

He glowers at him, confused and a tad affronted by Ace daring to lay a hand upon his person. The others don't notice, busy mentally dissecting Ace's eating habits as they stare at the writhing molluscs on his plate. Jun notices them too, makes a face and then ignores Ace. Probably for being weird.

Ace grabs one of them and lifts one of its feelers to stick to Jun's face. He yells in protest as it latches on to his skin, sucks itself stuck and the tip wriggles against the edge of his brow. "Ace you _fucking idiot_ " He yells, and it dissolves straight into chaos. Jun practically upending the table in his haste to get away from him.

Ace laughs, loud and joyous and the others at the table are staring in stunned surprise as Jun tears the poor soft animal from his face and chucks it at the table. Ace approaches, hands lifted in a peace offering, an obvious bluff, and Jun is tilting his wand straight at his face, bangs tumbling into his eyes and the entire room buzzing as Ace slinks closer.

"Put your wand away Jun, we'll just get in trouble." Ace intones softly, lips quivering with suppressed laughter at the red circular marks left on Jun's face. " _Stay away from me you animal_ " He hisses, takes a step back when Ace comes closer. "Now, don't be mean." Ace forces his lips into a moue.

****

"You're so fucking stupid, why are you so stupid- oh my god." Jun wails, clawing his bangs down to cover his face and his furious blushing. They're casually skipping a class on the sun warmed tiles of one of the academy roofs -or at least Jun is, Ace's last class finished before lunch- a quick teleportation finds them there after one of the professors had stalked towards them with detention in her eyes. They had been pretty loud and the entire scene had involved Ace after all.

Ace rolls onto his side, faces away from Jun and the sun framing his head and shuts his eyes to enjoy the gentle heat. "You like it." He insists, wriggles around until he's comfortable and releases a little laugh when he hears Jun sigh behind him. He moves, casts shadows over Ace where he looms above him.

Cracking an eye and peering up, Ace watches Jun's expression warp and twist and something stabs at Ace, hot and cold and insistent and he wants to say fifty stupid things that will, probably, have Jun jumping head first off the roof just to get away, so he closes his eye once more and settles down again.

"Whatever" Jun grouses beneath his breath, robes rustling as he lies down on his back besides Ace. They're close, close enough for Ace's back to brush Jun's arm whenever he breathes. He doesn't move, doesn't tease Jun and ask him if he isn't scared of catching his stupid. Instead, he tries to pretend he isn't hoping and wishing and wanting.

Jun shuffles, exhales loudly and hesitates briefly before rolling onto his side and fitting himself against Ace's back, nestles close and presses into every curve and slope, releases a short puff of breath against the nape of Ace's neck. "Don't say anything." He insists, wedges a hand between Ace's arm and side to slip his arm around his waist and heft him close.

"Okay." Ace squeaks, voice breaking to his great embarrassment and he tries to curl up around the hand splayed across his stomach. "Are you _blushing?_ " He hears, Jun sounding perplexed and smug at the same time as he shifts up on his elbow and stares really hard at Ace's face. His stars are ablaze, the small rays obviously what gave him away and he hurriedly tries to cover his face, the light breaking through his fingers.

"Ace," Jun calls, hangs all over him and practically crawls on top as he pulls Ace even closer towards him. When he feels Jun begin to release him, he peels his hands from his face and offers him a meek look of resignation, face as red as his eye. Jun stares even more, offers him a strange look as Ace curls up into a ball beneath him. "What" He huffs, embarrassment reshaping into some morbidly misplaced annoyance.

Pressing his lips together, Jun's expression flickers with realisation and then he's wrestling Ace to unfurl him and get him on his back. Ace is too weak with guilt to put up much resistance, "Jun, stop," is all that makes it past his lips as he lies there, glowering weakly with his pants tenting and face aflame.

 _"Oh."_ Jun exhales, voice wondrous and eyes wide and then he descends on Ace, kisses him, does it hard and covers every inch of body with his own. They curl together, Jun making space for himself between pliant legs and Ace rearranging them around his thighs to keep him close.

Ace feels his brain dissolve as Jun delves deeper, slants his head and forces Ace to open up for him, rocks their hips together and makes Ace want to hate himself for being so easy, but he can't help it, and he kisses back with just as much vigour.

Cotton scrapes together, Ace gasping when Jun pulls away from the kiss and steals Ace's breath away. His expression is all heat and something primal, it makes Ace all tense and needy and this is totally not something they should be doing on a rooftop, not something they should do when Ace isn't even sure where they stand. He presses a staying hand against Jun's chest when his voice fails him.

Confused and rock hard, Jun frowns down at him and parts his lips to let out a helpless sound. "What?" He snaps and winces at his own tone, looking apologetic as he shifts his hips and the shape of his cock rests hard and promising against the slope of Ace's hip. Ace's expression says it all, so Jun deflates all over him and effectively squashes him against the roof.

"I hate you." He whines against Ace's shoulder, sounding miserable and denied and far too entitled, and Ace just pets his back and his hair and tries not to feel like a complete asshole. "I'm sorry." He sighs into Jun's hair, lets Jun crush him as much as he wants as he waits for his hard-on to subside.

Jun eventually slides off to rest beside him, leg and arm keeping him trapped against the roof as they both gather their bearings. _Wow_ echoes as a voiceless thought between them, surprise and resignation twined into every letter as the strength of their mutual attraction really begins to settle. "I don't want to attend my last lecture." Jun says, voice soft and carefully edged, "Okay." Ace acquiesces, agrees, gives in and gives up all at the same time. 

Jun glares at him, unimpressed by his lack of interest in what he has to say. Usually, Ace will fall right into the role of a responsible upper-class man and rant about why skipping is the worst idea in the fucking world, but he's caught up in his own thoughts and Jun pinches him. Ace grunts, jerks his head around and offers a glare.

"I heard some rumour that you have a pony?" Jun inquires, the tense atmosphere smothering him. It earns him a quick laugh, kiss swollen lips stretching in a sweet smile and Jun wants to steal every last smile from Ace's lips, wrap himself up in them and make it his favourite possession in the world. It's all gross and disgusting and alarmingly strange, so Jun pounces on Ace's positive reaction and says _"Show me."_

 ****

They leisurely trail towards the pastures, Ace's _pony_ out basking in the early evening sun. Jun asks twenty and two questions about what it looks like, how small it is, feigns disinterest with his hands stuffed inside his pockets despite looking like he's bursting to see it. Ace is half convinced he really thinks it's a pony, an actual earth pony with short stubby legs and a barrel for a body that he can laugh at for ten years.

"It's back here." Ace says, unlatching a low gate that admits them to one of the largest pastures towards the back of the stable area. The forest looms at the other end, large horse-like creatures grazing back where the grass is higher and denser. Jun snorts "I don't see it, is it really that tiny?" He asks, as if he's won something just because he can't see Ace's "pony".

Rolling his eyes excessively, Ace purses his lips and whistles sharp and short and several of the equines raise their heads to have a look but one emits a monstrous roar and sets off in an explosive gallop. Jun startles at the sound, shifts his eyes between Ace and the black mass tearing across the field. It slows to a springy trot as it draws nearer, all flared nostrils and craning neck.

"Well, this is Spelt." He says with a little wave of his hand. The horse is a dusty sort of brownish grey, the colour impossible to name, its coat gleaming a pale gold as the sun dances across its nose. Tendrils of cream coloured hair fall across its forehead and ripple down the side of its neck in great waves, and it looks all majestic and dreamlike with its ombre wings tucked against its sides.

But then there's the horn, all sinister and curving from right above its eyes, the tip gleaming as if it's freshly sharpened. Jun swallows while Ace's expression goes all soft with love and admiration and Spelt lowers its head to nuzzle at Ace. It extends its muzzle to knock at his forehead, his nose, and then it opens its mouth and its a mess of razor sharp teeth and blood red gums and Jun feels a little sick when it licks Ace's cheek.

A soft breeze blows over them, carries the scent of spicy chai and Jun tries not to freak out, or at least not completely. Ace pets the winged unicorn, gently pushes its head out of his face so he can look at Jun with mild concern, "Okay there?" He asks, obviously confused by Jun's reaction. "Its teeth," Jun begins, touches a hand to his own face and tries to peel his eyes from the horses muzzle.

"Ah" Ace just utters in understanding, shrugs gently and continues to pet and pet the monster pressing its head against his arm and resting its pale horn atop his shoulder. Jun almost tells him to step away from it, but then he remembers what he's heard: _Ace has one of the prettiest unicorns in the stable_ , _Ace got it as a birth gift or something_ , _it could probably catch a dragon_ , _i heard it eats 50 kilos of food a day_ \- _no that's his dog_ , _it's like it understands what he says_ , _it has really long eyelashes, god it's so pretty_ , _i wish he looked at me the way he looks at it_.

"No really," Jun starts, leans down to catch a peek "...He, looks part shark or something." He argues, glowers at Ace like he's lied to him or something. To be honest, he feels annoyed because all the unicorns he has read about in fairytale's and picture books when he was younger _never_ mentioned lion roars, shark like teeth or sinister horns. At least his fucking hoofs look normal.

Ace frowns a bit, sends Spelt off to graze a short distance away from them. "He kind of is, but also isn't?" The explanation is way too vague to even count as remotely helpful, Jun making an annoyed sound and kicking gently at Ace's shin. "Okay, look, unicorns and pegasus' don't really work the way regular humans think," He starts, scruffs a hand through his hair and tries really hard to explain something so inane to him as equines.

"The environment shapes the equine, if they grow up in a desert with no wind, they won't have wings, they will have more than one horn, they'll be pony-sized and incredibly slim by nature. If they grow up in a tundra, they will have wings, they will have any number of short stubby horns, they'll come in any size and thick coated and will be heavy set by nature- you get the picture." He explains as best as he can, Jun following his words, rapt and interested.

But Jun still finds the time to frown at Ace. "Where the fuck did Spelt grow up then, underwater?" He bursts, dismayed cause the damn _thing_ still doesn't make any fucking sense to him. "He's from a remote island where fish has been the only nutritional thing probably, in some remote shark-filled part of an ocean. Hence the teeth and the horn, he uses it to hook things and flip them over his head." Ace kind of sort of explains. Jun just shakes his head.

"Maybe you should take Magical Creatures 101 as one of your electives." Ace teases, bumps his shoulder against Jun's biceps while the latter mentally battles his disbelief and holds it against the things he's actually seeing right now. "Why can't your pet be normal, why does everything have to be so _weird_ when it comes to you." He accuses before turning on his heel and stalking out of there before his head explodes, a snotty little Ace laughing as he trails after him.


	6. need no permission

The Great Meeting Hall is awash with noise, students chattering as they find a seat and steel beams creaking as massive monitors are slowly suspended from the high ceiling. The hall is massive, done up in curves and twisted columns to dampen the ambient noise and leave the stage speakers voice to reign supreme, but it barely helps as the entire hall speaks all at once.

Jun watches the spectacle with lazy detachment, no one's _really_ sure what's going to happen now and he finds himself sighing against his palm. He even suggested ditching it, but his friend said something about the representatives of all majors and then Jun had to pretend he didn't care even as he stiffly agreed to attend the first assembly anyway.

"Are you into Ace Krylo or something?" One of his friends asks, out of the blue and clearly out of pure boredom. He follows it with a ridiculing snort as if the thought alone is impossible. Jun starts, lifts his head from his hand and frowns, momentarily disoriented by the sudden question, it gives him time to gather himself and think. "No." He barks, and the lie stings, memories whirling and his friends expression glazing over with something akin to relief as if he stands a single chance.

Another one of their friends is about to say something, most likely to rebuke Jun's claim and Jun tenses all over. The second he inhales to speak, a smattering of loud steps claim their attention, the sound magically magnified to underline the arrival of the professor and The Grand Witch.

For all his kindness, he looks imposing and cruel with his clear cut lines, mat black hair and deep black eyes that pin each and every student in the hall. A collective hush befalls them, attention caught and trapped as he stills behind a podium on the stage. Someone behind Jun whispers rumours, something about The Grand Witch being a Dark Witch, he's hushed rather aggressively by someone else as his words wake curiosity.

"Dark Witch?" Jun whispers, tuning out The Grand Witch as he embarks on the same drivel he spouted during the initial first year orientation and welcoming evening. One of his friends leans across two others to talk to him, all smiles as he gets to lecture the unknowing kid who was never taught shit about magic history.

"A Dark Witch uses spells written in these secret scrolls, collectively they're called The Scrolls of Ruin." He says, makes a funny noise like he wants to laugh. "No one knows where they are any more, but rumour has it that there's about 25 and that The Grand Witch has most of them. But no one knows, and even if it's true, he has never used any dark spells as far as anyone knows." Jun is sudden a whole lot less interested, and tells his friend so and he just laughs and says "It's probably bullshit, but you never know in this world."

Jun finds himself losing interest with every word, it all sounding like a badly spun tale, and he straightens from his hunch. He's not particularly interested in rumours, neither hearing nor spreading them and he reluctantly tunes in to the ongoing speech. 

"For all the first years, we sincerely hope that the introductory weeks have been to everyone's satisfaction. All have shown great interest and for that, we'd like to thank you." The Grand Witch says, voice all encompassing and pleasantly fluid. "But, around this time we usually find that some have had a change of heart and wish to change their major, or pick their second major. You can do this by speaking to the representatives of the major you're interested in. Representatives, all rise."

Six people rise from the very front row, a familiar figure amongst them as they climb the short stairs to the stage, all black clad poise and a kind of quiet authority completely different from that of the professors and Grand Witch. A roaring applause tears through the room as they find their place, line up at the middle of the stage and look like a group of super heroes rather than the regular students that they are.

The applause drags out, leave some confused until calls of admiration filter through and then everyone is staring at the figure at the far right of the line. Just like Jun has been all along. Ace raises a silencing hand and the crowd finally quiets down, recreating the lull that the assembly began with. Jun gnaws his teeth and suppresses his bubbling annoyance.

It all passes quickly from then on, the representatives presenting themselves to smatterings of unenthusiastic applause, until Ace steps and his voice is swept away in the infernal noise. Jun clutches at his knees, sits a little straighter and stares Ace down the very second heterochromatic eyes find his. Ace's lips are moving, but everyone knows who he is and a private little smile flashes before he steps back in line. Jun feels smug and leans back in his seat.

While the assembly proceeds, people around him chatter about changing to Aerial, but the idea is shot down by the fact that it's beyond full, someone had been turned down for it when they were signing up for the Academy. He doesn't get it, the obsession with hero worship that revolves around Ace, he's a pretty regular guy outside of his talents, but everyone still have hearts in their eyes. He wants to berate them, tell them they're all _wrong_ and that Ace is a _fucking idiot_ and _'he's mine'_.

It feels like the entire world sharpens, folds in on itself and clamps tight around every inch of his heart. He sinks into the feeling and dissects it, unfaltering and unafraid as he zones out of the real world and into his own little universe. It's really unfortunate timing, but he feels this unrelenting need to corner Ace and just tell him everything there is to know about himself and demand he tells him right back.

He shrugs it off, crosses his arms across his chest, across his heart, and decides to lock away the creepy for a little longer. He really wants, and he always gets what he wants, even if he has to bide his time and reel Ace in and snatch the words from his mouth. Even if he has to sit through clusters of boys around his age lusting after the thing he feels truly entitled to, knows he's entitled too. _'Possessive'_ springs to mind, and he snorts his way out of his thoughts.

He mentally returns to quite a sight. Two students levitating a huge box onto the stage whilst another fiddles with his wand and presses it against his neck. He has no idea what's going on, but then the box has it's front swung open and a pile of proper, old school letters spill out in the form of crisp white envelopes.

"IT'S TIME FOR WOO A WITCH!" One of them bellows, loud and annoying and the assembly is apparently never going to end. Not in this millennia judging by the size of the pile of letters. Jun sighs as the first letter is torn open, one of his friends dramatically pretending to die a horrible but silent death beside him.

"The first letter is addressed to... Our very own Mister Ace Krylo, what a shocker." He says, sarcastic and snotty and stupid. Jun fucking hates this, hates the letter as the guy reads it aloud, it's signed by no one and it's as bumbling and gross as every fan boy Ace has. The next letter is much the same, and the one after that. The hall buzzes with indignation, excitement and rampant boredom. Jun boils, feels himself frown involuntarily as the letters can't be discerned from the next.

The immensely amused reader pauses in the middle of the like fiftieth letter, stalls completely and beckons for someone to come up. Ace returns to the stage, walks briskly to the center of the stage and commands all attention in the entire damn universe to be directed towards him. Jun perks up, joins into the collective confusion that reigns supreme. _"Why is he getting on stage?" "I don't know- wait, do you think-" "Don't be stupid, no one has the balls to ask him out."_ Voices hiss behind him, and trepidation sticks to Jun's spine like cold sweat.

"I'm really grateful so many of you always write me tons of letters for _every single assembly_ throughout the year. I mean, you even did it in my very first year, and it's super flattering- it really is." Ace begins, all alone as a tense silence fills the room, foreboding and horrifying for everyone smart enough to catch on. "But I only appreciated them because I had no one to tell me those things, or something with the same connotations- that is not an invitation by the way." 2/3rds of the crowd dissolve into pools of sadness at his words, moan and gripe about having missed their chance despite being too starstruck to ever dare take it.

"But I actually do now," He continues, unfaltering even as floodgates of tears are released upon the rows and rows of seat. His eyes flicker about for a few short moments before they catch Jun's gaze, he smiles then, bright and brilliant and Jun burns up beneath his own sun. "I hope you'll all respect my wishes and not approach me with intentions that would compromise this perfect thing I've found, because that would make him mad, and that would _really_ break my heart." And then he's gone.

A belated crack resounds in the hall, Ace reappearing a little off to the right, his head whips around with his features twisted in confusion until he finds what he's looking for and marches towards with Jun with a massive grin. But Jun is already four steps ahead, roughly yanking Ace to his chest and forcing space and time to warp around them, let them pass through the school in a flash and land outside The Grand Hall doors.

"God you're shit at teleporting." Are the first words out of Jun's mouth, snide and practically arrogance reincarnated and it's all fucking wrong but Ace's expression doesn't dim and Jun doesn't care to take it back. He's still got Ace pressed to his chest anyway, wrapped up in his arms and shoved right up against him. "Who cares, I have you." Ace huffs, his words incredibly profound and then not at all. "Whatever."

"I risked my entire reputation and that's all you have to say?" Ace grouses, leans back and mock frowns at Jun like he isn't still smiling and failing to stop. Jun shrugs, decides not to even try and be nicer than usual and offers a "It was pretty remarkable." just to tease him. Ace makes a face, pushes away and slinks out of Jun's reach, knowing Jun is far too proud to chase after him, especially because there's no need to.

"Who said I was talking about you anyway." Ace barbs, does it without hurtful intentions but still leaves ice cold splinters behind that have Jun's expression sharpening. "I'm the only one around who's anywhere _near_ perfect." He snorts, gleeful until Ace says "Stuck up brat." and laughs until Jun covers his face with a hand, then he just laughs harder, because he's a fucking idiot and had Jun known, he'd fall for him all over again.

 ****

The news spreads like an epidemic throughout the academy, the entire student body alive with the knowledge that everyone's sweetheart has been snatched up by a whirlwind of a first year. It's embarrassing to say the least, Jun nowhere near used to garnering this magnitude of intense interest, every other pair of eyes stalking him down the halls. But the weirdest thing of all, no one seems to be unhappy about it, just curious.

He tells Ace as much when they're squished together at an overflowing lunch table. Ace twinkles, averting his gaze to the table and letting a secretive smile stretch across his face "They just admire the way I ride." He says, as if it clashes reminiscent of ancient battlefields haven't transpired over their idol being snatched up. Jun frowns, leans across the table and snatches meat off of Ace's plate, leers and says "I didn't know you were into public displays."

Stars ablaze, Ace stares him dead in the eye and lets out a snort "I excel at showmanship." and Jun jokes on his laughter, burying his face in his hands to try and stifle the sound as sounds of indignation rush out of Ace's friends. Peeking through his fingers, all he sees is Ace's blinding smile and he feels warm all over.

****

 _"Uhm.. Guys, do you know where Ace went?"_ _"Yeah the professors' hall, it's mating season." "Oh right- yeah, he's at the professors' hall, it's close to the medical ward."_ Jun nods his understanding, slightly miffed as he turns away from the greenhouse and checks his bracelet, not even a single message to tell him Ace wouldn't be waiting for him at the greenhouses. Whatever.

He wades through the academy to give Ace time to finish whatever he's been called in for. Honestly, Jun doesn't get what mating season has to do with Ace since he knows the stable hands are in charge of the equine breeding and there's no other breeding creatures on campus, at least not as far as he's aware. Jun sighs, there's so much he doesn't know yet and he almost feels degraded when every single person around him knows ten things more about Ace. In the end it would be too weird if he started asking around about his own boyfriend- he's gotta ask.

The second he reaches the third floor landing, a door opens almost at the other end of the hall. It's Ace with two professors on his heel, they're deep in conversation and Jun squares his shoulders before approaching them with his confidence burning fierce. Ace sees him first, grins and mentally signs out from the conversation at hand to trot to Jun's side.

"Sorry I didn't wait for you, Professor Hern ambushed me during my lesson and dragged me here." Ace mumbles, shoots the elderly professors a surreptitious look and inches even closer. Jun just scowls, garners confused looks from the two professors until one of them thinks to smile and says _"We'll see you Friday, Krylo."_ "Yes, Professor." Ace turns, grabs for Jun's hand and raises the other to wave dismissively across his shoulder.

"Can you really talk to the professors like that?" Jun asks, pinches Ace between his fingers and yanks him against his side. Ace stumbles, grunts in annoyance and shoves Jun hard enough to make him stagger. "I can do whatever I damn well please." He says, doesn't seem bothered in the least by his own arrogance and lets go of Jun's hand to walk ahead. Jun sighs and wonders who's the real whirlwind here.

Jun follows him down the stairs, admires Ace as he ambles down the steps like seas of people aren't parting just so everyone gets equal chance to stare at him. For a split second he thinks Ace looks so alone and a familiar pain stabs at him, twist deep in his gut and makes him scowl with annoyance. "Ace" He calls near the foot of the stairs, suddenly irritated and in need of distraction.

"Baby Jun?" He asks, patient and stupid and "Don't call me that, midget." Ace mock gasps, even dares to look hurt and clutches at his shirt just above his heart "And I thought you were going to be nice after my public confession." He bemoans, kicks aiming for Jun's shin but with no real intention to actually hit. "Shut up, what did you talk to the professors about?" He snaps, ignores the people around them and flicks Ace off.

"I just help them scout and stuff, mating season just started so we have to patrol all the mating spots to count the mating couples and make sure other creatures don't come around and compromise their safety. It's me, four other students and three professors." He counts the people off on his hands, doesn't bother naming them because he knows Jun doesn't give a shit about anyone else.

"How long will you be gone?" Jun asks, tries not to sound clingy and disgusting and _needy_ but he has a right to know. Ace looks slightly disheartened, like he's sorry for what he's about to say and Jun is surprised he recognizes the expression so soon. "Five days." He says, winces and grabs at Jun's coat when a blizzard touches his expression and freezes it over.

"So, till tuesday?" His voice is questioning and careful, it's their entire first weekend as a couple wrapped up in his scouting mission and all Jun's carefully though out plans come crashing. He feels like it's unfair, knows there's plenty of weekends after this one but he can't help it, he hates being denied and he hates, fucking hates feeling pushed aside, this is his world and he's second to no one.

Ace nods, the movement tight and overflowing with trepidation. Jun swallows around his annoyance, grimaces through his need to accuse and be an entitled shit, he has to be better than this but he still can't stop the words as they spill past his lips. "Whatever, I got shit to read, I'll catch you later." It's the worst excuse and "Don't be such an asshole." Haunts him down the hall.

****

 Jun still feels like a complete asshole the day after, being a shit towards the guy he's supposed to adore the most left him too annoyed to sleep properly. He has to apologize and it's killing him, he can't work up the courage, much less meet Ace's eyes during breakfast where he shields himself between classmates and pretends he isn't staring holes in Ace's neck every time Ace turns his back.

 _"Jun could you stop being such a creep for like, five seconds, it's ruining my appetite."_ One of his friends says, earning himself a pointed glare for his pathetic efforts at distraction. "I'm not being a creep." He says and all he gets is a variety of unimpressed looks. Fuck if he cares, he'll stare as much as he wants to.

It occupies him for the rest of the day, makes him inattentive and frustrated with himself. This is way harder than the girls he used to date back home, they were high maintenance but you didn't have to think and now he has to be really careful because Ace won't take his shit and he's not just an expensive accessory. He finds some kind of resolve during his last lessons, drafts a couple of messages before waiving them again. It's too insincere and shallow to apologize with a few short words.

He sighs as the lesson draws to an end and the entire room exhales with relief. He's not even an inch closer to getting over himself and this feels so much like the weeks he spend hiding from Ace, just biding his time. Amidst his helplessness his bracelet vibrates, short and demanding and he clicks it open without thinking. He stalls with surprise, sees Ace's name flashing across the tiny screen and fiddles just to get the message open.

 _Hey baby Jun,_  
 _meet me @ my apartment._  
 _Now!!_  
 _\- A location has been attached -_  
 _\- would you like to view it? -_  
< yes > < later >

Opening the location, Jun takes a few calming breaths and prays that he doesn't splinch himself despite the explosion of nerves. He teleports so fast he barely makes a noise as he disappears. He reappears in front of an open door, Ace casually leaned against the frame with his hands in his pockets and a small pasted on his face.

"Hi." He says, like all is right in the world and perhaps it is and Jun feels stupid for a moment, like he's been agonizing over nothing and then he gets all up in Ace's space and says "Sorry." in this tiny feeble voice and Ace actually laughs at him, pulls out his hands to hook fingers beneath the curve of Jun's jaw and bump their foreheads together. "It's okay, I told you, you don't have to be nice to me." His voice is low and full of reverence, makes Jun's nerves flutter and his chest heat.

He kisses Ace without thinking, tears apart every worry and wraps warm hands around Ace's neck to caress and confirm that it was really just him being stupid all on his own. Ace makes a soft sound, exhales into the kiss and practically crushes Jun's nose to get closer, nips at his lips until they part in annoyance and Ace takes it upon himself to rob him of breath and thought.

They pull apart when Ace decides that's quite enough snogging in the hallway, both of their faces red with passion and lack of oxygen. "Want to come inside, or?" Ace asks, feigns nonchalance as he backs into the apartment. Jun snorts and follows, kicks off his shoes when he notices a slight step and a shoe rack and shrugs out of his coat. He hangs it haphazardly on a free hook before walking inside what he assumes to be the living room.

What he sees gives him pause, makes him stop dead with one foot on the polished wooden floor. A table takes up space in the middle of the large room, it's done up with ivory cloth and set with food and flowers and Jun makes a sound like a dying animal. Ace just grins at him, smiles and smiles and his stars go fucking supernova when Jun's lips twist as if he can't decide on which emotion he feels strongest, probably arousal but he settles on bewilderment. "What is all this?"

"You made plans for the weekend, didn't you?" Ace asks, motions for Jun to get his shit together and come closer, probably take a seat and stop staring or something. "Of course you'd get mad about me just leaving if that's the case." He's so understanding and Jun doesn't deserve him at all, but if he's anything it's selfish and he's going to take advantage of his boyfriends kindness whenever he can.

Just thinking the word makes him feel euphoric and he rushes to the table and takes a seat like he lives here. "Make yourself at home." Ace offer belatedly, completely amused as he disappears through a door just to reappear moments later with a pan levitating ahead of him. He sets it down on the table, steam rising and spices wafting around. Jun removes the lid all on his own, peering inside as it reveals a thick stew. "What is this?" He asks, looks up with interest as Ace takes a seat across from him.

"Pelmeni Shchi stew. It's Siberian dumplings and a reduced cabbage soup." He says it like he owns the words and has said them a thousand times, he probably has, and Jun casually asks "So you're Siberian?" and pretends he's still staring at the food. Ace hums an affirmative "half Siberian half Mongolian." and looks really pleased when Jun grabs the ladle off the table and fills his bowl to the brim. "I'm French Italian." He says casually and when Ace says "I know." Jun squints at him really hard.

He lifts a hand, in the middle of feeding himself, "It says on your student profile." and Jun drops the subject with a suspicious look. "It smells amazing, I never thought you could cook." He says instead, stirs his food and watches Ace's expression brighten even further "It's just stew, and thanks?" He raises a bemused brow.

They eat in silence for awhile, Ace not really tasting the first few mouthfuls as his stomach knots with nerves and desire. He has never cooked for anyone outside of his family, no one as special as Jun, never invited anyone else to his apartment - not even his closest friends - and he wonders if it's good enough until he looks up and Jun is gazing at him all sweet and affection while he licks at the underside of  his spoon. Ace swallows loudly, wants to shove everything off the table and have Jun fuck him across it.

He tamps down on his baser desires and pretends to be civilized, fishes for dumplings to shove in his mouth before he says something dumb. Jun practically inhales the stew, even asks Ace if he can help himself to another serving like food awakens his manners. "It's so _good_ ," He moans, uncomplicated and full of admiration but Ace's body takes it in all the wrong ways and he's not tasting the food at all.

Sometimes he wishes he wasn't so easily distracted and ducks his head "It's an old family recipe, my dad taught me, he makes it way better- you should taste it sometime." The mundane drivel doesn't help him at all and Jun laughs, "It's really good Ace, thank you." A small moment transpires, deep and resonating and Ace knows that _thank you_ is packed full of meaning and his heart swells, soars and he feels like he's drowning.

"Want more?" Ace asks, notices how Jun is running his finger along the rim and then he sucks sauce of his finger and Ace's everything tightens. "Nah, I'm full." Jun assures, grabs his bowl and snatches Ace's up too just to be the super helpful boyfriend, not at all because he noticed the blanket laden couch at the other side of the room and the promise of cuddling and wants to speed things up, not at all.

Ace follows him to the kitchen, the pot landing in the sink with a slight clatter. "Just put the bowls in the pot." He says, suddenly distracted and dismissive and Jun probably drops them with a little more force than he should, hopes he doesn't crack one and watches Ace putter around his kitchen. The apartment is pretty huge in general, roughly the size of two dorms remodelled into a single apartment but the expected stab of envy never comes.

Jun props himself against the kitchen counter and watches Ace search the fridge, he's full and content to just stand here and wait for Ace. "Do you want desert?" Ace asks, straightens with a whole thing of strawberries and looks quietly hopeful "It's just strawberries, but I really like strawberries so," He rattles it a bit, upsetting the berries inside until they roll around. "Strawberries sound great."

Jun smiles, wide and proper but it falters when Ace gives him an odd look, like he wants to devour him, and desire beats a nervous tattoo against his chest. The relief he felt when he first arrived has made space for a million other things and he feels weak in the face of it, makes him tremble as he trails after Ace out of the kitchen. He knows it's all hormones, but he has no self control and that will be his down fall, at least if he can get his way. 

Ace deposits himself on the couch, drops the punnet of strawberries on a low coffee table and gets cosy and comfortable beneath a thin throw, Jun wants to join him but he also wants to seem suave and poised and not at all into cuddling so he takes a far seat, thinks about it for a moment then swings up his legs. His feet land in Ace's lap, makes him laugh in surprise and Jun wiggles his socked toes.

****

Halfway through their film, Jun feels something moving near his ankles so he twists them, shuffles around a bit and eventually tears his eyes from the screen to glare daggers at Ace when he tickles the ball of his foot. Jun wants to yell at him but his voice dies in his throat, wants to kick his hands away but one flattens across the arch of one foot whilst the other slides along his calf, wants to form a coherent thought but they all die before they can even begin to take shape.

Jun swallows, curls his toes tight when Ace takes hold of his ankle and traps his foot between his back and the couch. He peers up looking coy, caresses the outside of Jun's knee and makes him feel weak with a slow roil of arousal, he's going to get what he wants and he doesn't even have to work for it.

"Didn't you want to watch the film?" Ace asks, draws up his legs to fold across his lap and suddenly Jun regrets he insisted on choosing. He sniffs, averting his gaze first to the loft and then back to the screen, he has no idea what's going on in it and he's not _really_ watching it either. Ace moves again and Jun steals a glance, it's caught straight away and Ace raises a challenging eyebrow. "I hate you." Jun whines, sinks lower on the couch and slyly rubs his foot across the small of Ace's back, he jumps and Jun snorts.

Jun revels in the small victory for all of two seconds before Ace is on the move again, a sudden movement alerting Jun and the fact that he can't look is killing him. Ace is between his legs, crawls forward on his hands and knees and Jun can only tell when hands slip beneath his thighs. Ace pushes one leg aside, moves it in increments until Jun gets the message and plants his foot on the floor.

Ace continues his slow progression, slides his hands all over Jun's thighs and rests them, hot and heavy against his inner thighs, presses in and it's unbearable, Jun feeling cheated and hot and he's half hard in a flash and straining against his zipper.

"Would you look at that." Ace says like the true idiot he is and Jun's dick leaps at the attention, Ace's warm breaths painfully close as he rubs his thumbs into the crooks of Jun's pelvis, does it rough and Jun can't help the annoyed sound that escapes him, hips stirring as he cants them in offering, request, whatever. "You're so stupid." He bemoans, avoids saying all the things he really wants to.

"Okay." Ace answers and finally gets his hand on him, rubs him slow and teasing through his jeans until Jun thickens beneath his palm and Jun wants so much it hurts, feels pleasure spread as Ace gets rougher and the film turns to pure static as Jun exhales in a frustrated rush. Ace hums, sounds pleased with himself and suddenly Jun is super pleased with him too, warm lips replacing his hand and he mouths away at him like it's his favourite thing in the world.

Jun can't take it anymore and turns to look, burns up and wishes he hadn't as Ace peers up at him through thick lashes, tongue flattening against the thrust of his cock and lapping at him like he wants to draw out his taste. It leaves his jeans damp and it doesn't feel sexy at all, clashes with the way Ace's eyes flutter shut but then he inhales and Jun is going to die.

Ace gets impatient, scrapes his teeth over seams and damp spots, popsthe button before getting his fingers hooked in the waistband of Jun's jeans and yanking them down. "Be careful you _fucking_ -" Jun starts, tenses and practically shakes with indignation and need and he chokes on his words when his cock springs up like it's never been happier to be free, and it probably hasn't, won't ever be, and then Ace says "Oh, _hello_." and his mouth is pure heaven as he parts his lips and sinks down and down.

Jun ruts up, needs more, doesn't wait for Ace and takes whatever he wants. Ace repays his selfishness in pure enthusiasm, takes as much as  he can and makes the most obscene noise like he's thoroughly enjoying himself as he flattens his tongue and begins to move. Jun feels like he's breaking, shakes with the effort to keep from mindlessly thrusting into the heat encasing him, clenches his fists and lets Ace be the judge while he's the case.

He can smell himself, a warm scent of need that's familiar and exciting and he hopes Ace likes it too, hopes this is even a fraction as good for him as it is for Jun because he's in love with the feel of his mouth, the careful suction that draws him in for rolling caresses and tight wet heat. Jun can't help it, grinds up when Ace descents, until his lips wrap around the root and Ace moans, the sound rich and hungry.

Jun does it again, thrusts up and Ace accepts it, sucks on him and takes him deeper, looks truly reverent doing it. Jun gasps, high and excited and suddenly a litany of praise spills from his lips, hips moving restless and urgent and Ace looks so fucking gorgeous with his plump red lip stretched around his cock, so he tells him and Ace relaxes his jaw, takes more and more until his lips kiss warm skin.

Heat burns across Jun's body, ignites a tang of desperation and fresh sweat and he feels jittery and weak as his dick touches the back of Ace's throat and Ace groans like it's a treat. "Stop, oh God, I'm gonna come-" Jun pants, wants this to last, but then Ace peers up at him with the sweetest expression and Jun can't take it. He feels the quiver and snap of tension and shudders as his orgasm is torn from him by the lone thought that Ace would hand him the world if he could.

****

"I'm really sorry I got so mad." Jun says, practically glowing with happiness despite the deep frown on his face. They're by the door again, Jun dragging on his coat and feeling both sated and sorry. Ace makes a non-committal sound, pats the left side of Jun's chest and says "I had fun today." As if he didn't hear shit Jun said so Jun looks at him long and hard, frown deepening until he just gives up. "Me too." He sighs, suddenly feeling shy in the face of Ace's affection. He returns to the dorms with a heart full of things he can't name.


	7. take the crown

Initially, when Jun had agreed to join them on their little scouting trip, flying on Spelt for a day and a half wasn't exactly what he had had in mind, nor was landing in some random, remote, dark and horrible bit of a huge forest with Ace and an Ancient scholar.

Jun huffs again, wand raised and his free hand steering as the tent finally rises, it's a bleak hemp thing in the hues of _ancient_ and _hovel_ that groans when a breeze catches at the heavy fabric. "You have to be joking, we can't all sleep in here." He turns on Ace with wild eyes full of betrayal, he refuses to sleep in the vicinity of a man that's probably 5 million years old and unbearably loud about it.

Ace rolls his eyes from where he's unlatching and shrinking all of the riding gear, the professors equine scurrying away alongside Spelt as soon as the saddle leaves its back. "We're witches Jun," He starts, as if that magically makes Jun willing to share the same living space as the withered man rustling through maps and charts.

"Have a look inside." Ace insists when he's quite done being busy with other things than Jun. He comes over just then and gently grabs Jun by the elbow, steering him to the opening of the tent and ducking inside, forcing the other to follow whether he wanted to or not.

Inside, the tent is at least 5- no, 10- times bigger than the outside, and tastefully opulent when taking their current location into account. "What-" Jun begins, turns to a lightly smiling Ace for answers and punching him in the shoulder instead.

"What the _fuck_ Jun." He hisses, lifting a balled fist, probably to reciprocate, but it's lowered just as quickly and he settles for confused glowering instead. "That was for making me set up a tent, which I never have, because last time I checked, I was fucking filthy rich." Jun hisses back, already trailing around to explore the depths of the tent.

He hears a soft sight expelled behind him, he had held off on hitting Ace because god knows everyone and their grandmother would jump in to defend the poor idiot. "To your credit, it only took 40 minutes." Ace chortles, sounds like a pig doing it, and deposits himself on a couch that looks quite comfortable, the upholstery drowned in pillows and throws.

Jun offers him a one-fingered salute, disappearing around a corner soon after as he discovers a large bedroom with an actual wooden door. "Can we have this room?" He calls from within, a large double bed taking up most of the space in there, but that's all they'll really need anyway.

Moments later, Ace's is by the door, peering in, "You want to share a room?" He asks with a lifted brow, like it isn't a matter of course that they'd be rooming together. "Well, you know, after you practically swallowed my dick I naturally assumed we had gotten past any kind of physical reservations?" Jun adds a little lilt to his voice, just to underline how stupid he thinks Ace is being.

Before Ace can manage to answer, the Ancient- Professor Mathias- calls for them outside of the tent and Ace starts for the entrance. Jun wants to call after him, maybe throw a tiny tantrum and demand an answer, but the solemn mood Ace had been in since they left the Academy had finally lifted. In the end, he trails after him.

"Dear boys, could you gather some wood and start a fire while I raise the safety wards, the equines just returned." The old man requests, his voice raspy and grating and it's the only thing that honestly seems old about him. Jun had asked earlier, Ace saying "the old goat uses a bunch of glamour charms, he likes looking 50.", he had laughed at that despite himself, surprised Ace had it in him to be rude.

Now it's a stilted smile and a curt "Of course, Professor." Before he motions for Jun to come along into the forest, which is not exactly what he wants to do right now as darkness looms as thick as the densest fog. "There should be some dead ash and oak trees around, they're best for burning." Ace explains as the moonlight wanes beneath thick canopy's.

"How can you even tell which is which right now?" Jun groans, flicking his wand and muttering a quick incantation. A ball of light comes forth, swaying gently an inch from the tip of his wand, Ace doesn't bother to follow his actions and just sidles closer.

"The leaves- never mind, just leave it to me." Ace dismisses with a quick shake of his head, the stars on his cheek catching the weak light Jun's wand provides. Put out, Jun changes the subject instead of pushing it, "Why do you have stars on your face?" He asks, something he should probably have questioned well over a month ago.

The question throws Ace, makes him pause and slide Jun a confused look before he moves to catch up. "You know about curses and blessing right?" He asks for starters, laying out the necessary ground before he can be bothered to explain.

"Curses come from interbreeding with demons, blessings from light beings." Jun recites, and for a moment, Ace almost makes sense. The latter nods as one of his hands curls around Jun's forearm to tug him past a protruding root.

"My dad's family was blessed forever ago, some kind of foresight thing, but the ability disappeared for good over 10 generations back. they're just a quirky feature now." Ace shrugs, touching a hand to his cheek as he grimaces slightly, apparently they had taken some ridiculous explaining when he was younger.

Jun snorts into the complete hush of the forest, he hadn't really paid the thick silence any mind until now and then he realises how deep they are in the forest. "What's the most dangerous thing in here?" He asks in a rush, refraining from grabbing Ace but just barely.

Ace makes a thoughtful sound as they approach a section of the forest that looks like it's seen far better days, the ground completely broken up and clusters of trees bend and broken and quite clearly dead. "Fully grown ghuls, probably." Jun vaguely remembers ghuls mentioned in passing during one of his classes, he also remembers they're classified as deathly.

A hand bumps against his own, fingers grasping and entwining until Jun turns his attention from the murky depths of the dark to Ace's amused expression. There's a flash of something in his expression, but it's gone before Jun manages to blink. "Relax, I've only met ghuls once before, and I've been a scout for 3 years."

There's something about the way he says it that has Jun frowning as they close in on the trees. He kind of wants to know, but the words stick and he keeps quiet as Ace tells him to "wait there." leaving Ace to approach them on his own. He rolls up his loose sleeves, does some nifty thing where he ties them around his biceps.

"You said all the flora in the forest is magic repellent," Jun calls, Ace humming an affirmative as he adjusts his bolero some more. "Well, I didn't bring an axe, and I'm pretty sure you didn't either, so...?" Jun trails off, suddenly annoyed of a plateau of reasons, but they all come back to Ace in the end.

"I'll smash it." Ace says, completely matter-of-factly and Jun is so fucking close to singeing his hair right off. "Put up a shielding spell and stay there." Ace warns with a quick look that actually has Jun doing as he says. It's a pretty rare thing and Jun catches the brief smile before splinters go flying.

Anything propelled in his direction bounces off of the shimmering oval of translucent magic, but Jun still blinks in surprise and then in shock as Ace strikes the thick trunk again. The tree audibly cracks under the force, but it's way too dense for a human fist to do this much damage to it. With a third hit, it breaks into several pieces.

" **Ace**." Jun snaps, voice hard as he waves away the barrier and bitterly admits that sometimes, he is completely lost when it comes to the black armed idiot. But Ace never seems to be and offers a meek grin as Jun approaches,"You didn't ask about my arms. Mom's side, rock demon, when I'm outside the Academy's demon wards they go extremely hard."

Something slots itself in place, a recent memory Jun quickly grasps. "That's why you didn't hit me back?" He asks, sounds surprised and incredulous that Ace would hold off on possibly fracturing his shoulder over something completely inane. Ace frowns at him for a moment, "... Yeah." He exhales, sounding amused.

****

 


End file.
